HP SAN VSP vs IBM SVC

[avamar11]

Hi All ,

I am not sure that that IBM SVC or HP SVSP is comparable ,nut for me it looks so .Is there any whitepapers or links about HP SAN Virtualization Services Platform (SVSP) available .Is there is comparision btweeen SSVSP and IBM SVC available ?

Thanks in advance ......

P.S. This thread has been moved from HP 3PAR StoreServ Storage to Storage Area Networks (SAN) (Enterprise). - Hp Forum moderator

[avamar11]

which Storage Arryas are suppported by SVSP ?

[IBaltay]

Hi,
its the XP platform only and it is the HW virtualization of HP and other storage vendors virtualization via the XP External storage

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c01836385/c01836385.pdf?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN


IBM SVC is software based via the 2 linux servers which create the virtualization layer and are initiators to the storages and targets to the hosts.

http://www-947.ibm.com/systems/support/supportsite.wss/supportresources?brandind=5000033&familyind=5329743&taskind=3

[avamar11]

thanks mate...Do you any info that IBM SVC can be used to manage 2 different arrays ,say HP XP10000 and HP XP24000 .


Thanks in advance...

[IBaltay]

Hi,
SVC compatibility matrix (HP XP storages included)
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=ssg1S1003553

from page 403...
ftp://ftp.software.ibm.com/storage/san/sanvc/V5.1.0/pubs/English/config_guide.pdf

[TTr]

What is it that you need to do with the 2 XPs that you can not do now and that you think the SVC will provide you with.

Others might tell you differently but IMO the SVC is a great tool for storage migrations and a decent virtualization tool when you have a large mix of heterogeneous storage systems that serve storage to the same groups of servers.

What is it that you expect SVC to do in front of the two XP arrays?

[krusty]

Hi avamar,

Try this link for a lot of good info on the SVSP...

http://www.hp.com/go/svsp

If you look at the QuickSpecs, you'll see the SVSP supports IBM, SUN, HDS, EMC, Net Apps, and 3Par arrays.

It also does local and remote replication, thin provisioning, and online data migration. It does scale very well as it uses a "Split Path" architecture where most of the I/O is translated through wire speed "Physical to Virtual" translation appliances (Data Path Managers).

Hope this helps,

Curt

[avamar11]

Thanks Guys .....
Well you are right if I have 2 XP24k ,I dont need anything .But I have 2 XP10k (one at each site ) which cannot be scaled more (240 disk max) and 2 SUN Storagetek (1 at each site ) ...I have a question here suppose I put SVC ,will I have do allocation at each storage array .or SVC will take care of everything ....

[TTr]

> ...suppose I put SVC ,will I have do allocation at each storage array .or SVC will take care of everything ....

SVC will take over the LUNs of the arrays and will present them to the server(s).

To the arrays, SVC is like a server, you assign the LUNs from each array to the SVC.

To the servers, SVC looks like an array, you assign the LUNs that SVC controls to the servers.

There are several ways that you can assign the LUNs from the SVC to the server, you can preserve them the way they are or you can combine them, change them around etc.

SVC comes a single unit or a two and four unit cluster. Each unit behaves like an array controller so based on the number of units and zones at the SAN you have multipathing and several paths per LUN.

[TTr]

One last thing. SVC is not cheap at all. In your case you would need a 2-unit cluster at a minimum. In addition to the hardware itself, you need a lot of software licenses to be able to use its features. So weigh in the cost when considering your options.